Pull-rod carrier



Aug. 26,1930. T, A, MILES 1,774,103

PULL ROD CARRIER Filed Feb. 15. 1926 2 She ets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Aug. 26, 1930. I T. A. muss PULL ROD CARRIER Filed Feb. 15, 19267710/7745/7. M/ 763 BY ATTORN EY Patented Aug. 26, 1936 UNETED ATES,

', THOMAS Minus, or sAr LPA, oKLAnoMA, Assre-non or ONE-HALEJTO r. H.zrnn,

or ruLsmoxLAHoMA BULL-Ron CARRIER Application filed February 15, 192Serial mes 119.

My invention relates to pull rod carriers and more particularly to acarrier for supporting the pull rod 'of'an oil Well pump intermediatethe pump and'the power mecha- '5 nism whereby the pump is operated. I

It. is common practice in oil fields where a number of wells are locatedin the same vicinity and on the same property to install a powermechanism-at a relatively central 10 point and extend pull rods from thesingle power mechanism to a number of wells, so that all of the wells inthegroup may be pumped simultaneously from the single source of power,The pull rods employed '15 for this purpose usually comprise sections orjoints of steel rods twenty-five feet in length andfive-eighths,three-fourths or seven-eighths inchin diameter, a sufdcientnumber of joints being clamped endto end to extend from the power to thewell, and hav- I ing the rigidity to push and pull'thepumping element toeffectthe pumping operation. In order to avoid frictionof the rods onthe ground, the rods are usually supported on 9 carriers and as thegroundis frequently uneven, it is necessary at some points to supportthe rod and at others to hold it down in order that proper workingconnection may I be made between the power and pump.- I It is the objectof my invention to provide adevice'which maybe employed either "as asupport or hold-down, and in either instance to provide a roller bearingfor the rod which will be operable under varying conditions of 5temperature and weather, without the usual close attentionto'lubrication and other requirements ordinarily encountered with thetype of carrier heretofore in common use. I

In accomplishing this object I have pro- 40 vided improved details ofstructure, the pre-' ferred forms of which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 isa'perspective view of a group ofoil wells and a power mechanism with pull rod connection between thepowerandpumps,

particularly illustrating uneven topographical conditions encounteredthe employ? ment of such structures.

v Fig. 2 is a detail perspective View ofacar to a central rier, showingthe several but relative relation. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailperspective view of acarrier with its rod, a part of the carrier beingbroken away for better illus tration. 1 I, v

Fig. 4 is atransverse, vertical section of the same. i

. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal, vertical section of the-same. v

. Fig. 6 is a transverse, vertical section of the device,illustratingits use as a hold-down.- I I Referring more in detail to thedrawings, i

and withspecific-reference to one of a plurality of oil wells in a groupwithits connection to the power mechanism,

parts in separated 1 designates anoil well and 2 a pump rod f extendingfrom the top of the well. Located adjacent the well is apump derrick 3carrying a lever 4, one arm. of'which is connected with the pumprrod andthe other with the usual pull rod 5, which extends in sections power,mechanism 6 of conventional form. 3

Located at suitable-spaced intervals between the well and power arecarriers for the pull rod, those. illustrated hereinbeing constructed.in accordance with my. invention andcomprising the following detailsofstructure The'hodyof the carriercomprises a house ing 7 of sheet metalof proper gauge stamped an open top, the housing being substantiallysquare in crosssectionand of sufficient length limits of its'operativetravel.

Thebearing consistsof a circular block 10 of hard wood or metal having acentral,

" to form a-closed bottom 8, side walls9 and .to accommodate a rollerhearing within the' order to confinethe roller bearing for free travelbut without lost motion within the housing and with a minimum offrictional contact against the housing walls, I expand the sides of thehousing longitudinally as at 12 and 13 and restrict the upper and lowerportions of the side walls to'form the railparts l4-15 and 16'17, therails forming guides against which: the ends of the, bearing may havelimited frictional contact during its rolling travel on the bottom 8.

The side walls are inturned at the upper edges of the rails 16 and 17 toform keeper flanges 18 and 19 whichconfine the roller bearing againstvertical. displacement from the housing, and the inner edges ofthekeeper 'fianges are extended upwardly and li-pped as at 20 and 21 tocarry a cover 22, The cover 22 is preferably bent upon itself to formthe edgegrooves 23 and 24 for receiving the lips 20 and 21 when thecover is slid over the upper edges of the housing to enclose the housingafter it has been applied to a pull rod.

The bottom and side walls of the housing are inturned to form the stopportions 25 and guide flanges 26, and the bottom of the house ing isupstruck to form the keeper lips 2?. The upper rails 16 and 17 are backout from the'fianges 26 to provide spaces for receiv ing the slidingdoors 28 which are adapted for pro ection into the housing within theflanges 26 and between the stops 25 and keeper lips 27, the upper edgesof the door memhers having concaved recesses 29 through which the pullrod may extend, the depth of the recesses being such that when the rodis supported on the roller hearing within the 7 housing it may workfreely within the recessesot the door members. The door members maybesecurely attached 1 to the housing by cotter pins 30 or otherfastening devices which may be extended throughapertures 31 in the doormembers forms the ground support for the carrier.

WVhen the device is intended for use as a hold-down as distinguishedfrom a support,

- a plate 36 may be welded or otherwise rigidly and permanentlyconnected with the free edges of the housing member and inturn welded tothe pin 34, so that the housing member may be inverted to locate theroller hearing over the pull rod as distinguished from location of theroller beneath the same when the device is employed as a carr er.

Assummg the carrler to be constructed as described, its use is asfollows: 7

Ground supporting members 35 are located between the power and well insutficient number andproperly spaced to provide one sup-' port for eachjoint of rod. The housing having been constructed as described andwelded to the top of an anchor pin, is mounted on the ground support, aroller bearing seated within the housingthrough one of the end openingsand the doors fastened in place to close the ends of the housing andconfine the bearing. The pull rod is then seated on the roller bearingwithin the housing and the cover slid into place to confine the rod.When the rod is supported from the carrier at proper intervals betweenthe well and power, and the power operated, the rod is reciprocated backand forth to operate the pump. During its reciprocation the rod rotatesthe roller bear "ingwithin its housing, the range of movement of thebearing being slightly in excess of the extent otreciprocation of therod to avoid contact of the bearing with the ends of the housing. ;Itisapparent that under this operation, the bearing rolls on the bottom ofthe housing in limited frictional end contact with the rails of the sidewalls and without lost motion, due'to the dimensioning ol the housingrelative to the size of the roller.

With such a construction no lubrication is necessary asthere is nosliding contact of the rod with the carrier, but only a rolling contactof thebearing with the bottom and side rails of the housing member.

Should i be necessary to replace the hearing, one of the doors may beremoved, the bearing member rolled out of the housing and a new onerolled in. If a rod is to be replaced, the cover or" the housing may beremoved, the rod lifted out of its seat therein, and a new oneinstalled;

It is apparent that whether the device is employed as support or ahold-down, it will perform its function with a minimum servicerequirement and expense of upkeep, and with a better average ofperformance than is possible with the type of carrier now in comm-enuse, in that it is not subject to failure of lubrication because 01"melting grease in hot weather and hardening grease in cold weather, norto the grinding wear incident to sliding surfaces l i hat I claim anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a pul rod carrier, a housing formed from a single piece 015' sheetmetal including a fiat bottom and side walls, and a. cylindrical bearingmember having rolli 52; support on the flat bottom of the housing andprovided with a peripheral rod groove and, removable means for closingthe ends of the housing.

2. In a pull rod carrier, a housing formed from a single piece o1 sheetmetal including a fiat bottom and side walls, and a cylindrical bearingmember having rolling support on the fiat bottom of the housing andprovided Wlbh a peripheral rod groove, the sides of the housing beingstamped to form upper and lower longitudinal guide rails andintermediate portions spaced trom line of contact with the enos of thebearing member.

3. In a pull rod carrier, a housing formed from a single piece of sheetmetal including a flat bottom and side walls, and a cylindrical bearingmember having rolling support on c the flat bottom of the housing andprovided with a peripheral rod groove and means for closing the ends ofthe housing comprising keeper lips on said walls and gate membersslidably engaging said lips.

4.; In a pull rod carrier, a housing formed from a single piece of sheetmetal including a flat bottom and side walls, and a cylindrical bearingmember having rolling support on the flat bottom of the housing andprovided witha peripheral rodgro0ve,-means for closing the ends o1 thehousing comprising keeper lips on said walls and gate members slidablyengagingsaid lips, and means for closing the top of the housingcomprlsing longltudinal guide flanges onrsaid sidewalls and a covermember slidably engaging said flanges.

. 5. A pull rod carrier including a sheet metal housing having aflatbottom, and side members bent to form upper-and lower lateral guiderails, overhanging keeper flanges hav ing'lipped free edges spaced onthe top of the housing, the side members being bulged between the upperand, lower guide rails to avoid frictional contact with a containedbearing, a cylindrical block'having rolling bearing on the bottom of thehousing and confined by the guide rails and keeper flanges and having aperipheral rod groove, and a cover member slidably confined by thelippededges of the. side members. V

6. A pull .rod carrier including a sheet -'metal' housingha'ving' a flatbottom, and side members bent to form upper and lower lateral guiderails, overhanging keeper flanges having lipped free edges spaced at thetop ofthe. housing, the side members being bulged betweenthe upper andlower guide rails to, avoid frictional contact with a contained bearing,a cylindrical block having rolling bearing on the bottom of the housingand confined by the guide rails and keeper flanges and having aperipheral rod groove, and a cover member slidably confined by thelipped edges of the side members, the bottom having upstruck lips nearthe ends of the housing. and the bottom and. sides having inturned stopflanges at the ends of the housing, and

door members engaging the stop flanges and upstruck lips to close theends of the housing. g

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature.

THOMAS A. MILES.

